Pastel de FornoBaked Pastry
A lighter baked alternative to street food that hits popular keywords for health-conscious searches.
Pastel de Forno is a baked turnover made with a soft dough enriched with cream cheese (requeijão) and butter, offering a lighter alternative to deep-fried market pastries.
Ingredients
- 400 g All-Purpose Wheat Flour — Enriched Pastry Base
- 200 g Cream Cheese (Requeijão Firm) — Fat & Moisture Agent
- 100 g Unsalted Butter (Softened) — Tenderness Fat
- 6 g Fine Sea Salt — Seasoning
- 350 g Chicken, Beef, or Palm Heart Filling — Interior Core
- 1 Yolk Egg Wash — Surface Glaze
Method
- Blend the creamBlend the cream cheese, softened butter, salt, and flour until a smooth dough forms
- Wrap in plasticWrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes
- Roll out theRoll out the dough on a floured surface to 2mm thickness
- Cut out 10cmCut out 10cm circles using a ring cutter
- Place 25g ofPlace 25g of cold filling in the center of each circle
- Fold over intoFold over into a half-moon shape and press the edges tightly with fork tines to seal
- Transfer to parchment-linedTransfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, brush tops with egg wash, and bake at 190°C for 22 to 25 minutes until light golden
Questions
How long does Pastel de Forno take?
About 52 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking — 1 hour 17 minutes total, yielding 12 turnovers.
How is pastel de forno different from fried pastel?
The baked version uses a lighter, sometimes cream-cheese-enriched dough with a dry golden finish — the fair's fried blister versus the bakery's crisp packet.
Can I freeze the tray before baking?
Yes — shape, egg-wash later, freeze solid on the tray, then bag. Bake from frozen at 200°C, adding 5 minutes.